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From The News, of Pakistan

Australian Senate rushes anti-terror changes after threat
(Updated at 0925 PST)

CANBERRA: The Australian Senate held a special sitting Thursday to rush through amendments to anti-terrorism laws, a day after Prime Minister John Howard said he had received credible reports of a possible attack.

Howard said it was urgent the amendments, which make it easier for police to prosecute terrorist suspects, be passed because of the threat of an attack, which experts believe targeted the southern city of Melbourne, a foreign news agency reported.

The changes allow police to immediately act against terrorist suspects involved in the early stages of planning attacks, instead of forcing them to wait until they have specific details of an imminent attack.

Clive Williams, a former Australian intelligence official, said his sources told him the plot involved an attack on Melbourne, Australia's second largest city.